A Groton father charged with breaking 29 bones in his infant son’s body pleaded not guilty to child abuse charges Wednesday, when he was presented in the New London court where major crimes are tried.

Jordan Rittenhouse, 24, has been held in lieu of $500,000 cash bond since Aug. 28, when Groton Town Police charged him with first-degree assault and risk of injury to a minor. The baby, who received care at Yale-New Haven Hospital, is back at home with his mother, Krishna Rittenhouse, according to Rittenhouse’s attorney, public defender Bruce A. Sturman.

The child’s mother was in the courtroom gallery with two other women during Rittenhouse’s brief court appearance. Judge Hillary B. Strackbein appointed Sturman to represent Rittenhouse and appointed attorney Lori K. Hellum to serve as guardian ad litem for the victim. She continued the case to Oct. 15.

Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Theresa Anne Ferryman, who is prosecuting, said she would be contacting the Department of Children and Families for an update on the child’s condition.

The police began investigating on Aug. 26 after receiving a report of possible child abuse from DCF, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. The mother had taken the child to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London because he was not eating properly. He was transferred to Yale-New Haven Hospital after doctors found multiple rib fractures.

At Yale, Dr. Andrea Asnes, head of the Detection Assessment Referral Team, reported the child had 29 bone fractures showing various degrees of healing. She said some were consistent with squeezing injuries, but the baby also had fractures of the extremities not consistent with squeezing. She described it as one of the worst cases of serious physical injury of her career and said she was surprised the baby was alive.

During an interview with police, Jordan Rittenhouse, who was attending the Naval Submarine School and living in Navy housing at 53 Deerwood Drive, admitted he had been under a lot of stress. He said he had squeezed the baby several times, sometimes so hard that the child stopped crying, and had once shoved the baby’s bottle into his mouth, causing the infant’s mouth to bleed.

He also said he had pushed on the baby’s knee with force on several occasions and had placed the child’s arm up to his shoulder and behind its head and pulled down on his wrist.

Originally from Rockwell, N.C., Rittenhouse enlisted in the Navy in November 2013, according to a Navy spokesman. He and his wife, who also have a 2-year-old, moved to Groton in February, according to the affidavit.

The wife stayed at home with the children while Rittenhouse attended submarine school, and he stayed with them when she went to a part-time job two to three days a week, the affidavit says.

k.florin@theday.com

Twitter: @KFLORIN